Doll crawling mechanism



APH] 11, 1951 R. GARDEL ETAL DOLL CRAWLING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 21, 1959 @www r AT1-0R April l1, 1961 R. GARDEL ErAL 2,978,835

DOLL cRAwLING MECHANISM Filed May 21, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS April 11, 1961 R. GARDEL ErAx.

DOLL cRAwLING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 21, 1959 lUnitedfStates arent DOLL CRAWLING MECHANISM Robert Gardel, 11 Riverside Drive, New York 23, N.Y.,

and Arthur Rogovin, 32-25 Mott Ave., Far Rockaway, N .Y.

Filed May 21, 1959, Ser. No. 814,814

6 Claims. (Cl. 46-149) This invention relates to a doll crawling mechanism, and particularly to such a mechanism in which the movements of a dolls limbs are so coordinated that the movement of any one or two limbs causes predetermined corresponding movement of the other three or two limbs.

An object of the invention is to provide arm moving mechanism coupled to leg moving (walking) mechanism so that reciprocating movements of the legs, as in walking or crawling, will cause simultaneous movements of the arms, either swinging or crawling.

A further object is to provide arm and leg moving mechanism so coupled and coordinated that the doll, in crawling position, can be caused to advance with simultaneous movement of all four limbs by the application of downward pressure, alternating from side to side, upon the lower rear portions of the doll body, or by the application of downward pressure on the dolls hands, alteri nating from side to side, or by the application of twisting force, alternately, to the feet.

A further object of the invention is to provide such mechanism of a strong and simple character, having a frame capable of constituting the entire skeleton of a doll, whether the body is formed of vrigid material or of relatively soft flexible flesh-like material such as vinyl plastics.

Another object is to provide certain improvements in the `form, construction and arrangement of the several parts whereby the above named and other objects` may eiectively be attained.

Practical embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, whereinp Fig. 1 represents a rear quarter perspective view of the complete mechanism, parts of said mechanism and of the doll body being `broken away; j

Fig. 2 represents a detail vertical section on the line II--ll ofFig. 1, parts being broken away;

`Fig. 3 represents diagrammatically a side view of a doll being caused to crawl by the application of downward pressure to the lower left rear portion of the body;

l Fig. 4 represents a rear view of the doll shown in Fig. 3; l Fig.` 5 represents a detail diagrammatic illustration of the forces `involved in the movement according to Figs. 3 and 4, and the result of said forces;

Fig.6 represents a rear view of the doll showing the leg positions when the doll is about to be moved by pressure"o`n the right hand, as'shown in Figs. 7 and 8;

Fig. 7 represents diagrammatically a side view, omitting the left arm and leg, of a doll about to be moved by pressure on the right hand, and i Fig. 8 represents a sideview corresponding to Fig. 7 showing the position of the right arm and leg at the end -of the half-stridestarted accordingto Fig. 7.

positions) by thevapplication of pressure, `particularly downward pressure, at selected points orjAareas. `The 23 lalso having a radial slot or slots 24 through which linkage shown is arranged tocause the limbs to move as diagonal pairs corresponding to the natural tendencies of a crawling infant, i.e., the gait is trotting rather than pacing The legs are intended to be so mounted on the mechanism that they can be straightened out to a normal walking position, substantially as set forth in Gardel and Rogovin Patent No. 2,736,135, issued February 28, 1956, but in the present adaptation of the patented walking mechanism certain modications have been made in order to achieve a new and improved crawling operation.

The mechanism comprises a rigid frame constituted by the horizontal plate 1, having an outline corresponding substantially to that of the interior of the doll body in the vicinity of the waist, a lower vertical plate 2 having its lower outline corresponding substantially to that of the interior of the doll body below the waist and in the front-and-back vertical plane, and an upper wicketshaped piece 3. The interior of the plate 2 is cut away as shown at 4 andtriangular portions at the top are bent around vertical axes to form braces 5. The parts 2 and 3` may conveniently be iixed to the plate 1 by means of small tabs which pass through slots and are bent to lock the parts together, the bent tabs on the braces 5 being shown at 6 and others being provided wherever needed, as on the lower ends of the piece 3 (not shown). f

The plate 1 is traversed by slots 7, 7 which are paralle to the plane of the plate 2 and equally spaced on opposite sides of said plane, and the plate 1 also has a hole 3 in the plane of the plate 2 in which is journaled the lower end of the driving rod 9. A small bracket 10 in the form of a wide U is secured, as by Welding or riveting, to the plate 1 so as to lie in the plane of the plate 2 and beneath the hole 8. Sector-shaped at plates 11, 11 are pivotally mounted on each side of the bracket 10 for swinging motion around a horizontal axis 12, the arcuate lower edges of the plates 11', 11 lying adjacent to opposite sides of the plate 2 and being guided by the arcuate tracks 13, 13 which overlie said edges with a free t and are welded or riveted to the plate 2 near its bottom edge.

`A leg mounting member 14, similar to the members 2S in the patent cited above, is rigidly iixed to each plate 11 as by the rivet 15, and each member 14 has a flat outwardly slanted part 14 above which it terminates in a arrow vertically extending pin 16 projecting through a slot 7. Each leg is designed to be secured to its member 14 by means of a mounting button 17 through which passes a post 18 projecting perpendicularly from the slanting part 14 and having a spring 19 bearing against the head 18 of the post and the button to urge the latter into engagement with the part 14. The button is preferably `seated on a base 2t)I having a small projection 29 adapted to engage one or more groovesor depressions in the part 14 so as to hold the leg releasably at least in the standingposition while permitting it to be turned to the sitting or crawling position. A knee joint which may be, for instance, of the type shown in Gardel and Rogovin Patent No. 2,791,063, issued May 7, 195,7, is also provided so that the legs can be moved to the crawling position, and canlalso be straightened out for standing and walking.

The walking mechanism is completed by the provision of a rocker 21, fixed on the driving rod 9` and-having radial slots 22, 22 designed to receive the pins `16, 16; The rod 9 is journaled at its lower end in the hole 8 and near its upper end in the middleof the flat upper part of the piece 3. `In addition to the rocker 21,;t second rocker 23` is also xed onthe rod 9, the rocker pass the ends 25, 25 of cranks 26, 26, the outer ends of which are pivotally mounted on the upper side portions of the piece Stor rocking motion about a horizontall axis 27.` Arm mounting buttons 28, similar to the leg mounting buttons 17, are carried by the outer ends of the cranks 26, 26 and are adjustable to different positions, including that corresponding to` the crawling position, as explained in connect-ion with the buttons 17. The cranks 26, 2e` pass through arcuate slots 29, 29 in the piece 3; the horizontal axis around which they rock may beV defined either by individual axle pins 3%, one for each crank, as shown, or by a single axle extending across the full width of the piece 3 and so disposed as to clear the rod 9. Said rod 9 may conveniently be provided with one or more projections near its lower end, as shown at 9', to limit the distance it may project through the plate V1, and its position may be further xed by the provision of one or more similar or equivalent projections immediately below the point where the rod 9 passes through the piece 3.

Two methods of operating a doll containing the abovedescribed mechanism are illustrated in Figs. 3 to 5 and Figs. 6 to 8, respectively. -In each case it is assumed that the dolls larms are not jointed at the wrist or elbow but are formed permanently in a bent position (Figs. 3, 7, 8) which gives a reasonably natural appearance either for crawling or when the doll is standing erect. The shoulder connections of the arms permit adjustment as desired -around the axis of the pins 30, while providing substantial resistance against such adjustment, at least from the crawling position. The legs, as previously noted, are provided with knee joints permitting adjustment between standing (straight) position and crawling or sitting (bent) position, and corresponding adjustment,

through about 90, can also be made around the axes of porting surface (called ground) is to the rear of the axis 12, so that vthe downward pressure above said axis causes the whole left leg assembly to rock forward (Fig. 5) until the axis 12 has reached the position 12'. At the same time the body of the doll has moved forward by therdist'ance d, the right leg has moved to its Vforward position (like the left leg in Fig. 3), the left arm has moved up and forward, and the right arm has moved down and back (to the position of the left arm in Fig. 3); the axis 12 being then tilted down toward the left as shown in Fig. 4 (the legs in Fig. 4 are shown as they would be `at the start of the downward pressure). To further advance the doll it is only necessary to press down on the lower right part of the body, as indicated by the `arrow A', and continuous crawling can beV .effectedv by alternately pressing at the points indicated.v This method ofy oper-ation is made possible by the particular inter-relation of the axis 12 and the points of engagement with the ground at 0. It is assisted by gravity, since the left side of the doll moves downward aswell as forward-when pressure is applied at Awhile the right leg also moves downward andV forward from the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 to a position corresponding to thatA of the left leg in said gures, thus addingits gravitational eiect to the linkage system. The arms operate similarly and in a fully compatible manner.v

In the alternative method of operation, illustrated in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, downward pressure is applied alter- "nately tothe dolls hands. With the dolls right arm .4 by the operating linkage described above, it will be evident that the rocking of the right arm between the positions of Fig. 7 and of Fig. 8 brings the left arm into its forward position, so that downward pressure on the left hand will then cause further forward motion. The leverage of each curved armresults in a lifting of the lower side of the doll when this method is used, as compared with the depressing offthe higher side in the back-pressing method.

In addition to the back-pressing and hand-pressing methods of causing the crawling motion, ya similar result will follow the application of twisting movements to the feet. For example, referring -to Fig. 4, if the left foot is grasped and turned so as to rotate the left leg in the direction of the arrow CV around the point O it will tend to raise the right limbs otf the ground. The weight of the doll will then have the same effect as downward pressure on the back, as previously explained in connection with Figs. 3, 4 and 5, causing the right leg to advance. For the next half-stride the right foot is twisted to rock the body toward the right, advancing the doll and bringing the parts back to the position of Figs. 3 and 4.

The 'present invention represents a specific improvement over the invention disclosed and claimed broadly and in other specific forms'in applicants copending application Serial No. 729,581, led April 2l, 1958, of which this-is a continuation-in-part.

It will'be understood that certain changes can be made in the form, construction and arrangement ofthe several parts without;v departing from the spirit and scope ofV the invention.

What we claim is:`

1. A-doll construction comprising, a hollow doll body, a rigid frame xed in said body, spaced journals inV said frame with a driving rod journaled vertically therein, leg

mounting members pivotally mounted on said frame for Y rocking movement about a rst horizontal axis, means for securing legs adjustably to said members at points below said axis, a rst-rocker fixed to the driving rod above said axis, parts projecting from said membersvinto operative reciprocating engagement with said rst rocker, arm mounting elements pivotally mounted on said frame for rocking movement abouta second horizontal axis, means for securing arms to saidV elements while permitting adjustment of the arms between selected positions about said second horizontalV axis, a second rocker xed to the driving rod between the rst rocker and the second horizontal axis, and crank means projecting from said arm mounting elements into operative reciprocating I engagement with said second rocker.

Yground-contact area P-P, pulling the body forward, rocking the arm around its axis -27 and moving said' 2. A doll construction' according to claim 1 which includes track means xed to the frame and spaced from ,Y

the iirstr horizontal axis, said track means being so disposed as to guide the leg mounting members in their rocking movement. Y

3. A dol-l construction according toclaim 1 which' includes legs adjustably secured to the leg mounting members and in which the rst horizontal axis is in a vertical plane in front of the points of contact of the-.legs with the ground at all .times when the dollis in crawling position. Y

4. A doll construction according to claim 1 whichincludes armsadjustably secured to the arm mounting elements and in which each armis so profiled that its. point of contact with the ground, when the ldoll is in crawling position, is` substantially rearward from the .simulated finger portion of the hand. j

5. A doll construction according'to claim 1 which ncludes arms adjustably Vsecured to the arm mounting elements and" legs adjustably secured tothe leg mounting members,`in which each larm is so'proledl that its point of contact with the ground, whenv the doll is inV crawling positioiLfi's 'substantially rearward` from the simulated Viiiiger poition off the* hand; and in whichA 'the'rsti hii."-

zontal axis is `in a vertical plane in front of the points of contact of the legs with the ground at al1 times when the doll is in crawling position.

6. A doll crawling mechanism comprising, a rigid frame having a horizontal part shaped to t within a doll body at approximately the waist line, a vertical part tixed to the horizontal part and extending downwardly therefrom and an upper part fixed to the horizontal part and extending upwardly at least to approximately shoulder height, leg mounting members attached to the lower vertical part for oscillation about a horizontal axis, pins connected to said members and projecting upward through slots in the horizontal frame part, arm mounting members attached to the upper frame part for oscillating movement about a xed horizontal axis, cranks connected to said arm mounting members and projecting away from said axis, a driving rod having its ends journaled in said frame, a rocker fixed on said driving rod adjacent its lower end and provided with apertures to receive the said pins and a second rocker fixed on said driving rod adjacent its upper end and provided with apertures to receive the said cranks, said second rocker being located below the axis of rotation of the arm mounting members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,859,175 Schaeffer May 17, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS 363,706 Italy Oct. 11, 1938 

